ZANESVILLE - Currently split across two buildings, the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department is planning to combine into one location in the near future.

Health commissioner Corey Hamilton went before the Muskingum County commission last week to decide on a contractor for HVAC and electrical systems in its final location at 205 N. Seventh St. At the moment, the health department occupies space in the Seventh Street building, as well as a building on Putnam Avenue.

Over the last 14 years, since Hamilton has been with the health department, the department has acquired additional programming, and as a result has split into the two locations.

"There's always been some separateness since we've grown," she said.

The department has moved away from primary clinical care offerings after working with Genesis to establish the Muskingum Valley Health Centers. The department has now shifted to focusing on environmental and population health, Hamilton said, offering programs to prevent chronic health issues, promote immunizations and tobacco prevention and fight food insecurity.

The Putnam Avenue locations hosts some of the departments most notable programs, including Help Me Grow early intervention and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.

The consolidation into the Seventh Street building comes with the health department's request for renovations. Designs are not complete, Hamilton said, but the estimated $3.1 million renovation would redesign the department's 25,000-square-foot space into a flexible and accommodating space "to meet the services we offer and the services we plan to offer in the future," she said.

The renovations would include closing the space between multiple floors of the Seventh Street building. Currently, the building is two buildings joined by a walkway. The department is also evaluating if an additional floor should be added, which would provide more space, as well as more tenants, Hamilton said.

Commissioners agree to contract VMP Engineering of Dublin for the HVAC and electrical work in the building. The commission earlier awarded the architect contract to Brian Addis, LLC.

The renovations are still in the early planning stages, and no work has been done to the building. The project is expected to take nine to 12 months to complete, but no start date has been scheduled yet, Hamilton said.